I will add an additional $40 to my original "QTND with a Twist..."Apr 18, 2009

Please explain this, or so that I understand it. It seems as though it's contradicting what you and others on this site say about HIV and mosquito. Here is a quote from another website

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/mosfaq.htm

"If the mosquito takes a partial blood meal from an HIV positive person and resumes feeding on a non-infected individual, insufficient particles are transferred to initiate a new infection. If a fully engorged mosquito with HIV positive blood is squashed on the skin, there would be insufficient transfer of virus to produce infection. The virus diseases that use insects as agents of transfer produce tremendously high levels of parasites in the blood. The levels of HIV that circulate in human blood are so low that HIV antibody is used as the primary diagnosis for infection."

ADDITIONAL DONATION WILL BE ADDED TO ORIGINAL AMOUNT! Thanks for your help!

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

Actually it's not contradicting what I or others on this site have said whatsoever! In fact it supports our emphatic statements that mosquitoes do not transmit HIV! The key word in the first sentence is "insufficient!" It states if a mosquito bites an HIVer and then bites an HIV-negative person, there would be "insufficient," (as in "not enough"), HIV to initiate a new infection.

The second sentence involves squashing a mosquito filled with HIV-positive blood. Once again it states "there would be INSUFFICIENT transfer of virus to produce infection." In other words no HIV transmission!

The final sentence helps explain the mechanism. It states the levels of HIV in human blood are extremely low. This is by comparison to other illnesses that mosquitoes can transmit, malaria for example.

So hopefully you can see we are all in agreement. Mosquitoes can not and do not transmit HIV. No way. No how.

Dr. Bob

QTND with a twist. Not in archives!!
Apr 18, 2009

So I have read that you cannot get HIV from a mosquito bite, but here's a NEW question, unlike your usual insect bite q&a.

I was at the park for a bday party, amosquito landed on my bare leg and I smacked my hand on top of my leg to kill it. Now it didn't bite me, but i squashed it right on my leg and it left blood all on that spot!!!

Could this be a higher risk since I know that after a mosquito bites someone, it doesn't bite another till it digests and any or if HIV blood got into the insect it would have died within the time of digestion, since it only lives outside it's host for a limited time...BUT in my case it could have JUST bitten an HIV infected person and came to my leg to digest and "rest" since it didn't bite me and then I squashed it right on my leg where blood squirted out. The spot where it landed was where I had razor bumps that had previously been bleeding. The spot of blood was about as big as a single rice crispy cereal piece. (Sorry that's all I could compare it to). So if there was HIV blood and it landed on my open cut/bump would there be a risk? If not, could you explain why?

I will donate $40 and my husband will donate another $40. I looked through all archives and can't find a thing! Thank you Doctor Bob!! We love you!

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

Just like clockwork, as soon as the weather begins to warm up and folks begin to spend more time outside, BAM Dr. Bob gets a slew of mosquito questions! Mosquito-HIV transmission has become the ultimate QTND (question that never dies!). See below for a small sampling of what's in the archives.

Your HIV risk from smashing a blood-filled mosquito on your leg is exactly zero! That's right: zip, nada, nothing, bupkis! There is a technical scientific explanation why this is the case, but it's rather tedious. It involves what happens to HIV once it leaves the human host and enters the mosquito. In addition there would not be enough HIV to cause an infection via this route. Please note we've been monitoring HIV for over 27 years. This question has been studied from every possible angle. Mosquitoes don't' transmit HIV. Period. Can you just trust me (and 27 years of hard scientific epidemiological data) on this???

Thanks for your donation to the Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org).

Be well. Stop worrying about squashed mosquitoes!

Dr. Bob

Fresh Blood Jan 5, 2009

Dr Bob,

I know you will say that this is the question that never dies (as I have checked the archives) but I think this is a littl bit different.

I had a huge mosquito on my arm. I went to brush it away and upon doing it quite a large amount of blood smeared across my arm.

I am worried that I could get infected as 1: the blood was very fresh

2: At the time I was picking roses in a rose garden and had pricked myself on rose thorns on my arms and fingers.

I am very worried about this and would like to get tested. Would the window period be 3 months or 6 months as it was a blood exposure and the risk of HCV coinfection could extend the window period?

Please reply - I hope you dont see this as just another stupid mosquito question.

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

You are absolutely correct! I am indeed going to say this is a QTND (question that never dies), which has an ATNC (answer that never changes!). Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV. Period. Unless, of course, you find one big enough to have unsafe sex with. HIV and/or HCV testing is not warranted.

Dr. Bob

risk? Jun 15, 2008

Dear Dr. Rob: I was at the beach and was bitten by a moskito. I killed it and it left a big drop of blood on my left arm near the elbow. I looked around and found many girls around. Almost no men. The girls were around 20-25 years old. 3 of them were very skinny. I am sure that the moskito transferred their blood to me. What would be my chance of getting HIV from this exposure? I read in your archives that a risk of transferring HIV from a woman to man is 5:10000. I repeat that there were almost no men on the beach, at least not at the visible proximity. I thank you very much for your reply because this exposure drives me crazy. Should I wait a 3 month mark for being tested? Thanks again. Bill

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

The mosquito (or, as you call it, "moskito") question yet again?????? Can you hear me pounding my head into the keyboard yelling "No, not again, not 26 years into the epidemic? People can't really still be worried about mosquito transmission!" Dude, the chances you could contract HIV from a mosquito are exactly the same as Britney Spear's chances of becoming a nun, OK? See below.

Dr. Bob

hiv from mosquito (MOSQUITO) Jan 29, 2008

I am really worried about hiv from mosquito 1 how long the virus stay in mosquito if mosquito blood falls on open cut or wound 2.if mosquito get entered into your stomach

3.how long the virus in blood stay outside the body

Thanks and Regards

saveen

India

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Saveen,

And once again the mosquito question rises up! The ultimate and original QTND (question that never dies).

See below.

Dr. Bob

Mosquitoes & HIV Jan 19, 2008

Hi Doc,

Can HIV be transmitted through mosquitoes?? There seem to be plenty in my locality these days. Some of them are really big - in fact, when I squash them then my hands are stained with blood. Is there even a remote possibility that we can get HIV through mosquitoes.

Thx....humpy

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Humpy!

Oh no! Not the mosquito question again? Twenty-six years into the HIV/AIDS pandemic and you're still wondering about mosquito transmission???? This was the original QTND (question that never dies) from a quarter of a century ago! That you are still wondering about it today means one of the following:

1. You've been in a coma for the past 26 years and just recently woke up.

2. You are an extraterrestrial who just teleported from the former planet Pluto to Earth.

3. You've been home schooled.

4. Our HIV awareness and prevention programs suck (and not in a good way).

5. All of the above.

OK Mr. or Ms. Clueless, one last time: Yes, HIV can be transmitted via mosquitoes! However, in order for this to occur you'll need to find one who is HIV positive and large enough to have unsafe sex with, OK?

Dr. Bob

self-infected with mosquito while masturbating? Jan 22, 2007

hello doctor, i desperately need your help. Very recently when i was masturbating i killed a mosquito with my right hand and i might have contacted with the blood of the mosquito. Then with the same right hand i touched my penis and possibly urethra and then ended up with sticky fingers. Considering that the mosquito is infected with HIV is there any possibility of me getting infected with the same??

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

Let me try to clarify this issue once and for all:

Chance of acquiring HIV from masturbation = nonexistent.

Chance of acquiring HIV from a mosquito (squished or otherwise) = nonexistent

Chance of acquiring HIV from masturbation and a squished mosquito = nonexistent x nonexistent which is nonexistent squared, OK?

Dr. Bob

dealing with true weirdos Feb 8, 2007

I live in CA and even here, we have so many ignorant people. At my workplace I have heard so many pathetic fears expressed. The infamous mosquito conspiracy being most common. Most recently, someone at my workplace expressed great anger that an HIVer sat at the same dinner table as he without disclosing his status. When pressed on this issue, this 'Christian' went further to say he feels confinement is appropriate for HIVers.

When I read your forum, I enjoy your humor when dealing with such issues. When I encounter such issues in real life, I get pissed off! I would prefer to choose humor if I could.

How do you do it? Or, are you more human than I give you credit for and it pisses you off sometimes?

Thanks for your service Dr. Bob....

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

The writer Paul Rudnick expressed it best when he wrote, "Only money, rage, and science can conquer AIDS. But only laughter can make the nightmare bearable." When confronting HIV/AIDS or even HIV/AIDS ignorance and stigma, I use "all of the above" money, rage, science and laughter.

So for your "extra chromosome Christian," my comments would best be summed up by a T-shirt I saw on a muscle stud at my gym earlier this evening. It read: "So many rightwing Christians. So few lions."

I tend to think Christian-guy will have a rude awakening when he arrives at the Pearly Gates.

Finally, I assure you I'm very, very human!

Dr. Bob

HIV Mosquitos Jul 27, 2004

Hello, whoever is answering this question.. I'm 14 years old and have a LOT of worries.. So I have two questions!! Here's the first: Can you get HIV from swallowing a mosquito that sucked blood from a person who has it? (I swallowed some sort of bug while running through my yard today, and it's causing me to FREAK OUT ALOT!) and second, have you read It happened to Nancy? That book is SOOOOO SAD!! If you haven't you should, I mean you being an expert on HIV/AIDS and all. It's about a girl who's my age who get's HIV/AIDS and dies from it... I CRIED FROM IT!! OKay please answer ASAP so I can sleep well, knowing I didn't catch anything.. LISA

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Lisa,

First off, let me assure you that you cannot contract HIV from mosquitoes not be getting bitten by them nor by biting (and swallowing) them!!! Next, no, I haven't read "It Happened to Nancy" yet, but I'm glad you did. I encourage you to talk about what you've learned with your family and friends. HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education are essential for everyone.

You might be surprised to learn that not only am I an HIV/AIDS expert, but that I, too, have HIV disease. I contracted the virus while performing a medical procedure on a patient in January 1991. Today there are 40 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS.

Don't be afraid of HIV. Just learn about HIV and the relatively simple ways to protect yourself, and you'll stay well. Now go to bed and get some sleep! It's way past your bedtime!

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